WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th May, 2021) The United States has approved a temporary Jones Act waiver for a second company to meet fuel demand following the shutdown of a major pipeline in a cyberattack last week, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson announced in a statement on Friday.
"Today, Secretary Mayorkas approved a temporary and targeted Jones Act waiver request for a second company," the spokesperson said. "This decision was made after careful consideration and consultation with interagency partners across the Federal government as part of the whole-of-government response President Biden directed to address the impacts of the Colonial Pipeline shut down."
The spokesperson added that on Thursday night, Mayorkas, approved an initial temporary and targeted waiver request over eastern seaboard oil supply constraints.
"The Departments of Transportation, Energy, and Defense were consulted in order to assess the justification for the waiver requests and ensure approval of the waivers is in the interest of national defense," the spokesperson said.
The Jones Act requires that goods shipped to US ports be transported on vessels that are built, owned, and operated by US citizens or permanent residents.
The Colonial Pipeline company announced�on Thursday that it has fully restored operations after a shutdown caused by a ransomware attack and is supplying the markets it serves.
Colonial Pipeline, which supplies roughly half of the fuel to the East Coast of the United States, suspended operations after being hit with a ransomware attack by the DarkSide hacking group allegedly based in Russia.
The shutdown has caused fuel shortages and panic-buying in 12 US states and the District of Columbia.
